The Brighter it Gets
by Hope-ItsyBitsySpider
Summary: He was supposed to be dead of that he was sure. So why was he waking up? Bakura Ryo was given a second chance a chance to change everything for better or for worse but at what price?
1. Prologue

**The Brighter it Gets**

**Prologue**

The rain started sometime in the afternoon, and had begun pouring down in heavy sheets moments later. Ryo was told to go below deck, but he didn't. He didn't want to. He might have been the nice guy (when his 'evil' side wasn't in control), but he still greatly enjoyed the thrill of the danger the massive sea storm presented.

**You should obey them**, a voice whispered suddenly, and Ryo stilled, fear freezing his limbs.

"What are you talking about?" he whispered back, knowing his other would hear him.

**Just do it, fool. Go below deck**, the ancient thief ordered harshly, appearing in a spiritual form to Ryo's right. He reached out and grabbed Ryo's shoulder, dragging him towards the steps as the wind picked up, whipping around them. **Now, before**-

A wave crested over the boat, and Ryo could only stare as it swept across the deck, slamming him against the railing as the winds began to howl. The albino felt a sharp pain in his heart and neck, but he didn't realize what was wrong at first. He climbed back to his feet, deciding that maybe Bakura was right. Quickly, he dashed to the steps leading down as the crew regained themselves and started running about, regaining control of the boat as they fought the storm. Ryo stumbled on the first step and one hand reached out to catch himself on the wall while the other grasped at his throat, fumbling for chilled gold.

He froze; there was nothing there. "Yami?" he whispered, terrified. Nothing. Dismayed, he found the closest bathroom and looked into the mirror. He no longer wore the Millennium Ring; all that remained was a raw, red mark around his neck, as if something were torn from it. With a whimper, Ryo realized what had happened; the wave had claimed his treasure for the sea. Yami Bakura was gone.

Ryo was no longer cursed, but somehow, he wasn't happy about it.

**R&R! I hope you like! **


	2. Ch 1 The More We See

**The Brighter it Gets**

**Chapter One**

**The More we See**

"Bakura-chan!" Mokuba called happily as Ryo hesitantly approached the large, expensive-looking yacht bobbing gently in the bay. The young boy circled his body guards and ran down the ramp connecting the boat and the dock, throwing his arms around Bakura as if they hadn't seen each other forever.

Well... It _had_ been a year, he supposed, so it was understandable. The ship he'd lost Yami on had been traveling between Japan and China, where he'd joined his father for a time. That seemed like so long ago, and Ryo was stunned to realize that Mokuba was almost as tall as he was (though not quite). His eyes were now level with Bakura's, and he appeared to have built up a bit as well. He'd also cut his black hair short; ear-length like Kaiba's, though it still had it's spikes and wasn't layered like Kaiba preferred.

The young teen stepped back, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his khaki-colored shorts, a grin crossing his face and brightening the immediate vicinity. He wore a pair of white and black tennis shoes, no socks, and a dark green t-shirt with the words 'I don't like Spinach' in white across the front. Around his neck, like always, was his duel card pendant, now on a brown leather cord. He had a tan.

"I see you've been well," Ryo said, smiling slightly at the other male.

Mokuba laughed sheepishly, scratching his cheek, and shrugged. "Actually, I've been pretty busy," he admitted. "It's why I asked you to come." He gestured toward the boat and took the albino's duffel away. "You have plenty experience traveling, right?"

Bakura nodded. "Yes. I've traveled around a bit," he replied curiously, following the younger teen onto the boat.

Mokuba handed Bakura's duffel off to a servant and lead his companion inside the yacht's lush interior, heading down a hall to the back room. "Well... Seto-nii is meeting with a new business associate, so I have to stay back at the company here in Domino." He opened the door and flicked on the light, revealing a surprisingly plain room with a bunk, a chest at the end of said bunk and a bathroom. Everything was neat and tidy, and the sheets were obviously expensive.

"But?" Bakura asked, wondering where the youth was going with this.

Mokuba grimaced and turned to face his friend, shrugging helplessly. "But I don't trust this business associate. I know aniki can take care of himself, and anyways he has body-guards... But I feel uncomfortable about this particular person." He began to pace, gesturing. "I feel as if I need someone I can _really_ trust to do the right thing should the situation call for it. And you're that someone, Bakura-chan," he explained. "I'd ask Yugi, but he's... kind of short." Bakura smiled slightly. "Jonochi-kun and Hiroto-kun are in America with Anzu-chan for her auditions, and everyone else I know and trust are busy in some way or another."

"Ah." Bakura sat on the bunk, thoughtful. "So... This is because you have a bad feeling?"

The younger Kaiba blushed, but nodded. "It's silly, I know it is, but after everything that's happened, I-"

"Sshh!" Ryo held up a hand, stilling. He could have sworn- there! A muffled ping reached their ears. He looked at Mokuba, who was paling rapidly.

"That was a silencer!" the younger boy hissed.

"Hide," the albino ordered, standing. Mokuba opened his mouth to protest, but Bakura frowned at him and held up a hand. Down the hall, he heard the faint sound of a footstep, muffled as if the person was trying to sneak toward them. Quietly, Bakura stepped over to the door and turned the lock, then gestured toward the bunk. "Underneath," he mouthed.

Mokuba glared obstinately at him for half a second before pulling out a gun from underneath his shirt, in his waistband. He held it out. "Take it," he mouthed back.

Bakura hesitated, but took it and gestured toward the bunk. The other boy was half underneath when the doorknob jiggled. Someone cursed. "He's in here," a voice hissed, just loud enough for Bakura to hear.

"He knows we're coming?" another voice demanded, just as softly.

"How should I know?"

"Just open the damn door already."

"I can't! It's locked!"

Bakura lifted the gun and aimed a little higher than the voices were coming from.

"Then break it down!"

"Oh yeah." Pause. "It's really quiet in there; what if he's waiting for me?"

"You idiot. He's just fifteen years old; what can a kid like that do?"

"He's Kaiba's kid brother. What _can't _he do?"

"Oh." A sigh. "Just do it and be careful. Aim your gun."

And just like that, the door was kicked in, two guns pointing in at someone they didn't expect to be there. A no name albino. "Put the gun down, guy," the taller male - both were Caucasian - ordered. Both men wore all black with black ski masks covering their faces, but their accents were terrible.

"You're Americans," Bakura accused, causing both to tense.

"Shit," the shorter one said. "This is even worse. The boss won't get anything from him..."

The taller one glared at his partner. "Shut up," he snapped, instantly obeyed. "You," he gestured at Bakura, "Tell us where the kid went. And put down the damn gun already."

"Yeah, or I'll shoot yer leg off!" the other added.

Bakura wished Yami were there; he'd deal with these people easily. But he was on his own, so he had nothing to fall back on. Hopefully, he tried acting a little more like Yami. Only a little. "No," he said, and rolled his eyes. "Besides, even if I would tell you imbeciles, he isn't here. Have you ever heard the word 'trap' before?"

The men gaped at him silently for a moment, before the taller one growled and fired a shot toward the ceiling. Bakura flinched and the man chuckled. "Put the gun down, little boy. Next pay check says you haven't ever fired one before." He was right, so Bakura wasn't about to take him up on it. "If you put it down, we'll let you live."

Ryo frowned. "Do you think I'm a moron?" he demanded, honestly irritated.

"Uh..."

"Putting down my gun would only have you capturing me," he pointed out. "And if captured, I am completely at your mercies; why would you let me live? Especially since I know you're American and can identify you by your eyes and voice in a line-up."

"Eyes?" they chorused.

Bakura continued, ignoring their interruption; hopefully, he could get them out of the room and away from Mokuba. To be perfectly honest, he wasn't concerned about losing his own life. That had happened a year ago, anyway. "You may as well just drown me. Swimming in your ignorance would do the job much more slowly."

The taller man fired again, this time at him. Pain spread through his left arm and his eyes widened. "You... shot me," he said, stunned. He was sure Yami would have rolled his eyes at that one.

"Damn right," the guy snapped, walking forward and jerking the gun out of the albino's hands. He grabbed the boy's injured arm and started dragging him along. "And now I'm gonna kill you."

XxXxX

Ororo Munroe, aka Storm, was quite enjoying her semi-vacation. 'Semi' because she was technically on a mission, though Charles had said she could take her time with it. There was a block in this city, keeping the telepath from digging too deeply into anyone's mind, so she'd been sent to investigate. She'd been doing a lot of work since Jean's death, to be honest, and had needed the break.

Jean had been her best friend, after all. It was hard on all of them to suffer such a loss, and each dealt with their pain in their own way. Scott and Logan fought a lot (when Logan wasn't on joy rides with Scott's vehicles), Charles often lapsed into thoughtful silences... and Storm worked herself half to death.

Storm sighed and shook her head to clear it, peering out over the Domino City harbor. She still hadn't managed to find out how the city was telepathically blocked, but there was no use staying any longer. She'd already been here for two weeks, and had received a call from Scott saying he needed her help to track down Logan, and more specifically, his Comaro.

A tiny grin twitched across her lips at the thought. Logan was very sneaky with Scott's cars.

"Hiya," a man called, waving as he set about preparing his boat for the day.

She'd opted to take a boat across the sea herself. It took much longer, but she personally enjoyed boat rides. They were... relaxing. Especially since she could prevent heavy storms with her powers.

She waved back at him and smiled. "Hello," she replied, passing him by. It would take about five days to get from here to the main-land, then she'd take a plane the rest of the way. It wasn't like she was in a hurry...

"What's that?" she heard the man who'd greeted her say, leaning over the dock to peer out into the harbor. He sucked in a shocked breath. "It's a person!"

Storm spun on her heel and went to see. "Where?" she asked, even as she saw the small person floating on their back way out by the buoy line. It was strange. Even though the sun was already shining brightly, directly onto them, and she was staring right at their form, she couldn't... couldn't really focus on the person. Almost as if they were shrouded in shadow...

Her eyes widened as she realized what they must be. This must be a mutant, which meant... "Oh, no!" she gasped. She turned toward the man. "Is there anyone that can save him? He's my friend!"

The man nodded firmly. "My boat's ready. I can go out and get 'im, miss." He offered her a forced smile, obviously expecting the boy in the water to be nothing more than a corpse by now.

For the poor kid's fault, she hoped not.

XxXxX

Ryo slowly regained consciousness. He remembered the man shooting his arm, then dragging him to the edge of the ship. He remembered making a lot of noise to distract them while Mokuba snuck out through the window-hatch in the room they'd hid in. He remembered the Americans finally getting fed up with his noise-making.

_There was a sudden, sharp pain as the man shot him in the gut. He instinctively clasped his stomach, staring at the man in shock. He was leaning against the railing, and the man fired again, hitting his shoulder._

"_You..." His eyes narrowed and he smiled, trying to give Mokuba as much time as he could. "Next time we meet," he said, catching sight of Mokuba running on the dock, "Can I have the gun?" He shoved off with his legs and toppled into the strangely freezing waters._

_They tugged him down and swallowed him whole._

It confused him. He was pretty sure he wasn't dead, if the burning in his shoulder, arm and gut were any indication. Death shouldn't hurt, right?

So why wasn't he dead? Even if he hadn't bled out, which he should have, he would surely have drown. Or he would have frozen to death or... or something. He wasn't supposed to be alive.

Eventually, it crossed his sluggish mind to open his eyes and find out where he was. He did.

He was in a hospital room. Or perhaps 'lab-room' was more accurate. There were no windows. Only white walls, stainless steel and glass. He was on a metal bunk with a thin mattress and thinner starched sheets.

He also appeared to be naked, except a pair of plain white boxers.

Gingerly, he pushed himself up into a sitting position to better survey the room. The lights were glaring down on him, far too bright in comparison to the darkness of slumber he'd been in previously. The walls were plain, undecorated with nothing on them except a white-board and a case with what looked like X-rays tacked up on the other side of the glass.

The only furniture were the bed he was in, a roller-stool and cabinets beneath a counter along the wall opposite the one with the case and underneath the white-board. And, of course, an island-counter in the center of the room. There was a sink in this, and a roll of paper towels, but it was otherwise bare. He supposed that the supplies were all kept in the cabinets to his left.

After he'd finished thoroughly examining his surroundings, he pushed the blankets off of him and moved his legs to hang off the edge of the bunk. The tiles beneath his feet were cool to the touch. The rest of the room was pretty chilly, too, he mused. With that thought in mind, he pulled the thin blanket off the bed and wrapped it around him before standing.

He wobbled unsteadily for a moment, but eventually regained his equilibrium. He took a cautious step. He paused to steady himself again, this time clutching his sore stomach. Letting out a breath he hadn't known he was holding, he took another step.

There was a little less shake in his movements now, and he smiled slightly.

That was when the door opened. His head snapped up and he instinctively stumbled back, dropping the blanket as he rose his hands as if to defend himself. He tripped over the blanket and landed with a jarring thud on the bed, elbow jerking into the brick wall behind him. He grimaced, gasping as pain shot through him, but he didn't take his eyes off the calm man standing in the doorway.

Slowly, the man lifted his hands, bringing to attention the tray of food he held. "Hi, there, guy," he said in awkward Japanese. "I've got food."

Ryo nodded. "Alright," he said in English.

The man looked relieved. "Oh, good. You speak _my_ language. That's always a plus." He walked forward and set the tray on the island-counter, pretending not to notice when Ryo rubbed his aching elbow and shifted into a more comfortable position on the bed. "So what's your name?" he asked, reaching a hand up to scratch his cheek-bone, underneath the red-tinted sunglasses he wore.

Ryo hesitated while he took in the man's sun-streaked brown hair and fair skin, his build that indicated at least weekly, if not daily, workouts and his perfectly straight, white teeth. He was a good foot or more taller than Bakura was (Bakura being the Millennium Ring's spirit, as he always seemed to gain an inch or two when he was in control of their shared body, not that he'd ever be there to take control again) and his build in and of itself was thicker and wider than Ryo's thin-boned, delicate Japanese one (even if he was half English).

However, there was something about him... Something almost... as if he'd recently lost weight. He looked healthy enough, but Ryo got the feeling that he was somehow sad. Ryo wondered why.

"Name?" the man repeated after a long pause, knocking Ryo from his reverie.

"Ryo Bakura," he said softly.

The man smiled at him, but again the action was dampened by something. "Scott Summers. It's nice to meet you, Ryo."

"Yes, the feeling is mutual," the albino replied guardedly. He crossed his arms over his bare chest and eyed the man. "Where am I? And how did I come to be here?"

Scott mimicked his position, only he wasn't sitting. "You're at Xavier's School for Gifted Children, and one of our teachers, Ororo Munroe, brought you here after she found you half-drowned in the Domino City harbor. Care to explain how that happened?"

Ryo hesitated, then shook his head. "No," he replied. It didn't matter now. Mokuba was safe. That was what counted.

Scott sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair. "Alright. You can keep your secrets, I guess. We all have them, and as long as your secrets won't harm anyone, then you can keep quiet about it." He paused pointedly. "They won't, will they?"

Ryo thought about that, but shook his head. They wouldn't. That he knew of. "No."

Scott nodded. "Alright. Oh, the professor wanted me to ask you... are you aware that you're a mutant?"

The albino was struck dumb by the question. A mutant? Him? No! It was impossible! He... but no. "No, I'm not," he argued firmly, shaking his head. "Mutants generally become aware of their mutation around puberty, correct? I've never shown signs of such."

Scott gave him a look. "You _are_, Ryo. We've seen it. Who knows, maybe you're just a late bloomer."

"I'm twenty years old, Mr. Summers," Ryo said, irritated. "That's a little old for a 'late bloomer'."

Scott threw up his hands in exasperation. "I don't know why you never knew, then. But you _are_ a mutant, Ryo. Like it or not. Maybe something just... I don't know... _blocked_ it or..."

But Ryo stopped listening and lapsed into shocked silence. Blocked. Something... something blocked it. Something... or someone. Someone like Bakura. And because of Bakura, Ryo was only now starting to manifest his 'mutation'. Now that Bakura was gone, there was nothing... nothing keeping him... keeping him... normal.

Reaching up, Ryo ran a hand down his face, staring wide-eyed at the floor. He was a mutant. Was it possible? No, he couldn't... He couldn't be a mutant. Father would surely hate him now. Father hated mutants... "No, no... You're wrong..."

Scott sighed. "Look, Ryo, I-"

"No! You don't understand!" Ryo snapped, surging to his feet. "I _can't_ be a mutant! I can't! You _have_ to be wrong! I'm my father's _heir_! Don't you get it, you stupid American? If you're right and I'm... I'm a..." He swallowed and forced the words out, starting to tremble. "A _mutant_... If I am... I can't go back. Father will _never_ look at me now! I'd... I'd almost _fixed_ things! He wasn't as angry anymore! He'd almost stopped blaming me-" He cut himself off and dropped back down onto the cot as Scott's expression softened.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking down. "But it's who you are. Take it from someone who knows."

Ryo shook his head and closed his eyes, dropping his face into his hands. "I can't go back now," he muttered. "There's nowhere for me to go. There's no way I could possibly show my face. Not as I am."

Not that it mattered. He'd expected to die, just not like this.

XxXxX

"Well," Logan said as Scott walked into the professor's office. "He sure took that well." He motioned pointedly toward the monitor.

"It's hit him hard," Storm said with a sigh. "It would appear that his father is... anti-mutant."

The professor nodded. "It's rather unfortunate. He seems to have gone through some sort of hard-ship, and to only now realize exactly who he is..."

"Hey," Rogue said, straightening from where she was slouched against Charles' desk. "I was wondering where I'd seen him before. He was in a Duel Monsters' tournament some time ago. He's been pretty off the charts since, though. There was apparently some medical issues that made it so he couldn't do public duels anymore."

Logan lifted a brow. "Really? Huh." He stared at the boy on the screen. He was still hunched over, sitting on the side of his cot. The picture blinked black a moment, and those watching tensed, but it turned back on.

Charles frowned. "Whether he's conscious of it or not, his powers are already quite strong. In fact, I do believe he's subconsciously trying to turn off the camera. I can't really read his mind, either."

Storm blinked. "You can't? Like the..." But he was shaking his head.

"Perhaps it's similar, but it's not exactly the same. I could locate people and things through the shadows surrounding Domino City, but I can't with him. The most I can do is brush his mind, but it always immediately locks me out, shrouding itself. It's almost like... well, like shadows, I suppose is the best way to describe it. I don't really understand it myself. Perhaps he has some experience protecting his mind..."

Scott sighed. "Well, whatever. All I know is that this kid has no place to go because his father's an asshole. I don't care who he is or what he's done or whatever. Are we going to give him a place to stay or not?"

Charles gave Scott a small smile. "Yes, of course, Scott. He may stay with us as long as he wishes."

Scott nodded, secretly relieved. The kid had seemed so sad... "Good. I mean... thanks. Yeah." He turned and left to go tell the kid that he had a place with them.

Storm smiled slightly once he was gone. "He seems to have taken a shine to young Ryo."

"Maybe that's a good thing," Rogue said. "He's been really sad since..." She glanced at Logan, who was pretending to be interested in the unmoving figure of Ryo on the monitor but clearly listening. "Yanno," she finished lamely.

But they understood her meaning. "Yes," agreed Storm with a sigh, looking down. They all shared a quiet moment of respect for their fallen comrade before Logan abruptly stood and walked out the door.

Rogue blinked then hastened to follow, looking concerned. "Logan! Wait up!" she said as the door closed behind them.

Storm glanced at the professor worriedly, but he shook his head. "He's hungry. Don't worry about it." He paused. "Though you might want to warn Scott that he may lose his new motorcycle before the day is out."

Storm gave him an exasperated look. "Logan's just going to take off again? How could he keep doing this? He's the closest thing Rogue has to a father, and now that Jean is gone..."

Charles gave her a soft look. "Perhaps you should point this out to him."

She nodded and straightened. "I think I will," she agreed and marched from the room.

Charles chuckled and shook his head, turning his gaze to the monitor and blinking when he realized that Ryo stood in the center of the room, seemingly staring right back at him. But then the boy's brow wrinkled and Charles realized that he'd just noticed there was a camera there. He shook his head, deciding he wasn't going to offer to chaperon movie night anymore.

It was giving him strange thoughts.

XxXxX

**Okay, so that's chapter one. Yay. *sighs* Hope you like! R&R!**


End file.
